A new version of Little Women is coming to TV. Gladys Knight, Trevor Donovan, Jen Lilley, and Jillian Murray are among the stars who will appear in a modern-day adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s beloved classic.
“‘A Little Women’s Christmas’ is a new Christmas classic in the making, with an incredible ensemble cast and an adaptation of an original story that is one of the best I have read,” said Bill Abbott of Great American Family, the network producing the movie.
New adaptation
Alcott’s semi-autobiographical novels, published in 1868 and 1869, followed the lives of four sisters growing up in “genteel poverty” in Massachusetts. Great American Family’s version is set in modern-day Tennessee at Christmastime. The characters have the same names as the sisters featured in Alcott’s novel — Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy — and face similar challenges as they navigate friendships, love, and finding strength through their family.
Little Women
Great American Family’s adaptation is one of many to grace the screens over the years. The story was first made into a silent film in 1917 starring Daisy Burrell, Mary Lincoln, Ruby Miller, and Muriel Myers. A 1933 film adaptation starred Katherine Hepburn. In 1949, Elizabeth Taylor and Janet Leigh starred in a remake.
Director Gillian Armstrong directed version in 1994 that starred Winona Ryder, Kirsten Dunst, Claire Danes, Susan Sarandon, and Christian Bale. The most recent adaptation was Greta Gerwig’s 2019 version.
Bill Abbott said one of the reasons the network chose to adapt the story was because it focused on women and family.
“Louisa May Alcott was intentional about focusing on the culture of young women, their hopes, ambitions, and dreams, and it remains one of the most widely read and beloved stories ever written,” he said.
The cast
In A Little Women’s Christmas, Jen Lilley stars as eldest sister Meg March. Jillian Murray stars as Josephine “Jo” March. Beth is played by Laura Osnes, and Amy is played by Julia Reilly.
Trevor Donovan plays Fritz, who was Jo’s love interest in the novel. Jesse Hutch is John, Meg’s love interest. The network has not yet said what role Gladys Knight will play, though a spokesperson revealed that she will debut a new Christmas song in the film titled “Joy.”
Great American Family
The network known as Great American Family was launched in September 2021 by former Hallmark CEO Bill Abbott. In a deal Bloomberg estimated at $90 million, Abbott and his investors purchased two cable networks and began producing content for both.
In an appearance on the Up Next with John Contratti podcast, Abbott said he hoped to produce quality family-friendly entertainment.
“There’s so much need for family content in the market and in this space,” he said. “You know, it’s pretty scary, quite frankly, the amount of content that’s out there…the vast majority of content that’s salacious and just is not appropriate for any member of the family.”
Great American Family has not released a premiere date for A Little Women Christmas. We will update this story as more information becomes available.
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